The hardest part of drug addiction is withdrawal. Withdrawal is associated with many symptoms, such as depression and anxiety. These symptoms can tempt the person into relapsing. According to My Recovery Corps, there are certain dos and don’ts that the individual should observe to facilitate the recovery process and prevent them from relapsing.
Pick up a hobby
The main reason why people relapse is staying idle. An idle mind would force them into doing something that they loved most. In this case, they might start taking drugs. Therefore, they should pick a hobby and participate in it full time. If the person has professional duties, they should attend to such duties and spend their free time participating in their preferred hobby. If the person does not know what hobby to participate in, they can ask a friend or family member to help them stay busy.
Associate with supportive people
The way to recovery requires a lot of support from friends and family. If the person does not get support, they might feel depressed and trigger them to relapse. If the people around the person do not seem to be supportive, they should avoid their company. In most cases, family members work their level best to ensure their loved one has fully recovered. During the recovery period, it is advisable to be with the family members because they care a lot.
Know your triggers and avoid them
The best way to prevent a relapse is by knowing an individual’s triggers and avoiding them. Among the common triggers are the friends they used to take drugs with. These friends can easily influence a person into a relapse. Another trigger is the location where the person used to take the drugs. Sometimes, the person should move away from that area to avoid being reminded of their past. The person should also stay away from areas that sell drugs since they might be tempted to consume them to reduce withdrawal symptoms.
The person should also monitor their psychological sensation to ensure they won’t trigger a relapse. An example of such sensations is memories about drug consumption experiences, increased thoughts of drug abuse, and carvings. These factors can easily trigger a relapse. Therefore, the individual should engage in other activities that prevent them from thinking much about drugs. Such would reduce the cravings.
The individual should identify the physical sensations that can trigger a relapse. Among them are feeling irritable, tightness in the stomach or chest, and feeling like they miss something. These feelings can force them into retaking drugs. The person needs to talk about them with a supportive individual. Such would help reduce their cravings.
Remember why you want to be sober.
The most important thing is for the person always to remember why they want to be sober. For instance, if the victim is a parent, they would think of remaining sober to reunite with their children. If an individual lost their job due to the addiction, they should focus on getting their job back by staying sober. People have different reasons why they want to be sober. These reasons should be their driving force of abstaining from drugs.
My Recovery Corps points out that a person in recovery should have enough support to ensure they do not relapse. If they do not follow the don’ts, the chances of relapse are very high. Therefore, it important for the individual to know all the dos that can facilitate the recovery process. A successful recovery would be worth the amount for a medical detox program and its effort to quit drugs.